In documentary photography, moments matter. It could be a stolen glance, a revealing expression, or a subject perfectly framed by the light... but the ability to capture those situations is key. So, for documentary specialist, Jens Krauer, X-Pro3 needed to perform. And it did. “There’s no margin for error in my process,” he explains. “I don’t pose subjects and I don’t ask them for any actions when I’m taking pictures, so the ability to react in an instant is absolutely vital. X-Pro3 allowed me to get very close to my subjects, and be quick enough to capture situations that are gone in a heartbeat. To me, that’s the best quality a camera can have.”

Jens continues: “Photography is the only tool that stops time itself, so it can give single moments eternity, and create collective memories for future generations to see.

“As rare as it is to succeed in creating something truly timeless, in an age where more pictures are taken than ever before, I think good and relevant work has not lost its importance. Given the current volume of images that we’re exposed to on a daily basis, a good picture can cut through the noise and change the perception of events and issues. I think that’s why photography is more important than ever as a carrier for stories.”

Jens took X-Pro3 to Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York City, where he’s been working on a long-term documentary project about the history and culture of the neighborhood. “It’s a story spanning four generations from the 1970s to today,” he explains, “a story of survival, loss, changes, and opportunity – or the absence of it – and how people survive and evolve out of those circumstances. I want it to show what role subculture and street code play when formerly unfavored neighborhoods are being gentrified, and how these lifestyles merge or coexist.”

Having developed strong ties to the neighborhood, and being present throughout some of its most notorious times, Jens describes drugs, gangs, and violence as “a defining influence in the area during those decades, meaning many people shied away from it.”

He adds: “Today, Brooklyn is largely gentrified and every year it becomes a more desirable place to live in New York City. So, the project is exploring the relationship between the old and the new. What has happened to old structures and habits? And how do they influence the roots of people living here for decades?”

The street photography that Jens uses to tell these stories needs to be “real, raw, and unposed,” he says. “Nothing trumps a real moment in telling the story, and that defines the role of the photographer very clearly as an observer – but it also makes demands of the camera.” In this way, Jens found X-Pro3 to be a “stealthy and extremely efficient tool that is just so much fun to use.”

He says: “To me, the perfect camera never gets in my way, does not require a lot of attention, and performs brilliantly when it is required to do so. X-Pro3 fits that profile for me in every aspect. Its minimalist, non-threatening appearance makes X-Pro3 a very discreet companion for those up-close-and-personal street situations.

“This means the camera becomes that simple tool I need in the process of taking pictures, rather than a piece of technology that gets between me and my subject. Even in the most tricky situations, X-Pro3 didn’t get in the way or demand a lot of attention while shooting, all the while being reliable and efficient, so it’s a perfect companion for my kind of spontaneous, up-close-and-personal work.”